Freshly unearthed – launching a new concept in retail

Our flagship brand unearthed® has just launched a brand new deli pop-up in Waitrose, Richmond. Looking for the next generation of deli counter, we were challenged to deliver a unique and clearly differentiated experience. This is the culmination of a year-long project working closely with Waitrose to help develop and curate a whole new concept in […]

1st May, 2018| News

Our flagship brand unearthed® has just launched a brand new deli pop-up in Waitrose, Richmond. Looking for the next generation of deli counter, we were challenged to deliver a unique and clearly differentiated experience. This is the culmination of a year-long project working closely with Waitrose to help develop and curate a whole new concept in retail. All products on sale in the pop up store can’t be found anywhere else in store so we’re delivering approx. 100 new products, many of which will be ranged in and out, depending on the season.

the deli concession in Waitrose Richmond

The focus behind the pop-up centres around three principles:• Product – an elevated range, not available anywhere else in branch. From small producers and provenance-rich.• People – staffing the pop up with brand ambassadors who have an unearthed ‘tone of voice’. Experienced with the products on sale and fully informed about the artisan nature of the food, running sampling and tasting sessions. Advising customers and providing a different experience. Taking inspiration from the unearthed mantra of ‘people make food’.• Branding – a pop-up which looks different to a regular Waitrose deli counter. The distinct feel of the unearthed® brand, imagined in store.The project, the likes of which we’ve not undertaken before, has given us full operational control of the pop-up – staff, product and consumables. It has been a great opportunity for cross-functional working across the business involving many different teams.

We were challenged to deliver a unique and clearly differentiated experience…launching over 100 new products

Product developmentThe team have sourced and sampled a range of new products. Many of which come from local producers, in the London area, giving us opportunities to develop new relationships with small producers. By sourcing in this way we’re taking into account local sourcing. Our developers have been busy creating salads and running sampling sessions for the range, ensuring that we’re 100% happy with the finished products.

TechnicalOur technical specialists have been bust visiting and meeting individual suppliers, advising them how to meet not just Waitrose, but also BRC standards. Some small producers have never supplied a large retailer so the learning curve is quite steep, but we’ve been there to guide them through the journey. In addition, the team have completed technical specifications for over 100 products.

Supply chain and logistics We pick stock for the pop-up direct from our warehouse – delivered via our regular Waitrose deliveries but we also collect stock from small producers, particularly where products have a short life, to ensure freshness. It’s unusual for us to just supply one single store, so we’ve also adapted our systems and ordering for, in terms of order quantity and life of product.

Olives on ice

We’ve also developed the technology to allow our brand ambassadors to order stock or consumables (packaging, ticketing and even the ice in the chilled olive bar) via an in store iPad with stock ordering direct to us. This is to enable them to have 100% availability of products and minimum food wastage.

MarketingHelping to bring the pop-up to life, our marketing team have designed ticketing, leaflets and signage for the branded in-store experience. They’ve also been ensuring that the deli is being promoted locally via social media, office drops, leafleting and that sampling sessions. Alongside the brand ambassadors they and other Winterbotham Darby staff, are working on the counter s helping to bring the brand to life.

Training and developmentOur team also designed a training academy for the brand ambassadors – providing them with product knowledge, skills masterclasses (slicing) and food hygiene training. After spending time with our internal unearthed team – they’ve got a thorough understanding of the brand and the small producers we’re working with.

unearthed® brand ambassadors

So what’s on offer?The range is really impressive and some of the highlights include: